Why Does PARIS Make the Japanese DEPRESSED? | The Paris Syndrome 

The debate countering the homesickness is that Japanese travel all over the world. I still yet to see one who end up depressed. I didn’t even know Paris syndrome existed, but if it is a case after visiting Paris, then it must be true. I live in Japan now and have met many people who had visited many places in the world, Hawaii, Guam, Philippines, Bali, South Korea, etc. they all had a great time and had fun. Paris is the first place I’ve heard that has depressing effects to the Japanese, so it must be true.

Paris is known as city of love and romance because of the novels, it was a dream of probably most Parisian authors to be loved and be romantic because they were deprived of it. Similarly, a lot of perfumes come out of Paris to cover the shitty smells! It was the worst 24 hours of my euro trip!

i thought this video had hundreds of thousands of views, absolutely crazy you aren't getting those numbers! Such well-made content! Curse the algorithm!

Very good! I love this presentation :)

Didn't know about Paris Syndrome. I wonder if there's more syndromes named after other cities besides Paris and Stolkholm. Great video!

This is absolutely true, it's not only japanese people though I think it's east-asians in general. That was my experience living in Japan, people REALLY idolize European cities in general and tend to think it's like Disneyland everywhere you go, and that the populations are very homogenic, in reality though it's quite the opposite. Most european countries have SOME beautiful cities with traditional architecture and others are without or it's all mashed up and maybe not super clean everywhere, with the tourist attractions being quite spread out. And often it's way more expensive than they might think since japanese salaries are quite cheap and the yen currency is falling constantly, so the culture shock is everywhere.

I think Paris suffers from the same 'over-tourism' as many other European capitals and large cities. People need to think outside the box a little and consider smaller cities and areas. I live in Lyon, France, where tourism has increased a lot over the past twenty years but it is still manageable. I've certainly never heard of waiters (or locals) shouting at people or being generally rude. I've heard that locals in places like Barcelona, Lisbon and Berlin, etc. are becoming more hostile to tourists because of over-tourism. As for Paris itself, yes, expectations are probably unrealistically high. Personally, I lived there for 9 months (albeit in the 1990s) and I was never disappointed.

Not only the Japanese, but anyone from a clean, advanced, and a civilized country like South Korea or Taiwan suffer from late stage Paris Syndrome as well. It’s crazy. They call it “the China of Europe”.

Another great Three Star Vagabond video! I like a different take on Paris vs. the usual Paris videos. (While still showing off all you saw!) It IS fascinating how easy it is to build up people, places, and things in our minds. Many friends in the U.S. idealize Europe as an almost utopia...without digging deeper and realizing any place has its issues. Or...how people go the opposite way in the U.S. and make Europe out to be this place with no freedoms...where you wait so long to see a doctor you end up worse. I love travel writers and videographers who show all sides of things. (One of the many reasons Cynthia and I love what you do.) You eventually realize that so many of the popular places are crowded or right next to things not as perfect as photos make them out to be. There's a lot to be said for out-of-the way surprises, and we love when you share those as well.

Something that catches my attention is that many people idealize European places like Paris, Rome or Berlin as splendid and romantic places that are out of the ordinary and yes, they are beautiful places but they are not something out of this world and the people are not at all friendly or kind. with the tourist while, to give an example, South America, which with the exception of Argentina, has a terrible reputation among Europeans, Americans and Asians, when they go to some of these countries, they are scared to death and leave there surprised and happy, I think a lot of the blame for this is the It has Hollywood, which is a very lying industry, and also fantasy books by authors of the past.

I had that feeling when I returned to Berlin years later but happily did not feel that way when I returned to Copenhagen

I think that generally speaking, a lot of novice tourists tend to either overidealize places that they intend to visit, or overplay their alleged negatives. Paris is probably a classic example of the former, where people are conditioned to view it as a showcase city of perfect people, fashion, food and elegance, with everyone slim, young and beautiful, wearing a beret and riding a bicycle with a basket full of baguettes, cheese and wine on their way to a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, singing an Edith Piaf song and smiling. And then, upon arrival, the realize that in most ways it's just another city, certainly nice and worth visiting but also not always as clean, tidy, pretty or pleasant as they'd expected, with cracked sidewalks full of dog poop, indifferent or impatient waiters, shop clerks and hotel workers, massive crowds, expensive prices, sirens everywhere, and not at all the Paris as Disney experience that they'd expected. New York City is probably a perfect example of the latter, which many tourists expect to be dirtier, noisier, grittier and more crime-infected than it actually is, having seen countless movies and TV shows that make it seem like that. It's not Paris, of course, but it's also no 1970's movie crime-infested hellhole. I get why people have inflated expectations of places they intend to visit, just not how inflated those expectations are. If you want a synthetic and curated experience that matches your expectations, go to Disneyworld, Las Vegas or a destination resort. But if you visit a real place, expect it to be real, good, bad and everything in-between. It's all part of the fun, I think.

Among the 35 million international tourists in Paris, 90% are delighted with their experience, 80% are in fact repeat visitors and about the same amount wants to go to Paris again. That's how you become the most visited city in the world for decades despite the urban legends.

Paris today reminds me of german propaganda from world war 2 warning of what would happen if Europeans lost the war. An absolute tragedy.

Hi. Nicely unusual and interesting video, mate. Have you ever heard of the Stendhal syndrome, named after the french writer who suffered from it (alongside many other people)? It’s, somehow, the opposite of the Paris syndrome and can happen when in Florence: too much art, too many beautiful buildings… If you’re not prepared, the shock can be so overwhelming you turn a bit insane. Cheers😉

Interesting. Those crowds around the Mona Lisa would shock and depress the heck out of me! I wonder if classic movies ever contributed to the syndrome - seeing glorified and romantic views of Paris on screen, and the shock experienced when reality hits - where are Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire when you need them! Not having been fortunate enough to visit Paris, I query the “snooty” reference though. My sister was just in Paris and also toured Italy. She said the Italians were very rude whereas the French were not. As always, an enjoyable and informative vlog with great scenery, tack så mycket

To be honest, every person i have meet who has been there feels really upset about the way natives behave with them.

Can I know which part of Paris has that kind of walkway with nature at around minute 5:00 in the video?? I heard other vloggers say there is no green space in Paris.

Just go to Italy if you want cobble stoned streets. People are much friendlier.

I am with the critics of the paris syndrom. It's not only the japanese. Lots of americans and other tourists get that, too.

70年代～80年代は「西洋かぶれ」なんて言葉が流行るくらい西欧の物・スタイルが溢れかえり、日本経済が好調なこともあって多くの人が西欧ブランドに食いついた。 高級、ファッションブランド（お洒落）というイメージが定着し、旅行広告でも「憧れのフランス」という見出しは多く見かけた。 「ヴェルサイユの薔薇」も一つの影響力があり、日本人には無い金髪、青い目、スタイルがよく、美しい貴族というような麗人のイメージがヨーロッパ人像になってしまった。 （現在でも、ヨーロッパ人、アメリカ人は金髪、青目で描かれることがやたら多いｗ） 高級感を出すためにアパート名もフランス語が多い。

There are several super hot cities in France perfect for a decent holiday, including: NICE, the city on the beach of Cóte d´Azur (with surroundings, Èze, Tète de Chien etc.) STRASBOURG on the Rhine in Alsace (with surroundings, the wine route, Les Vosges castles, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Colmar, etc.) Paris was never really all that much a French city worth visiting. You will probably waste most of your holiday in the Paris Metro (subway). Best thing to do in Paris is likely sitting on the stairs on Montmartre during the sunset with your romantic partner and a bottle of cheap wine. Doesn´t really make it all that special, however. Louvre? Versailles? Jim Morrisons grave? Forget it.

I’m curious as to what country/city Swedes have to visit as a status symbol? Most people aren’t aware that culture isn’t fossilized. Cultures, people, change throughout generations. I have visited Sweden and I found it to be a beautiful country that is clean with polite people. I did manage to avoid the Stockholm Syndrome when I visited this beautiful but expensive city.

High expectations cause this high disappointment. I went to London with very low expectations. I ended up liking it because it was way better than I had imagined. I imagined a dark gloomy depressed place, but I found a bustling, normal city with sun and trees. 😂 I would go back to London anytime but not to Paris because it disappointed me and I saw a dark gloomy place with stressed out people.

Didnt know about the Paris Syndrom, but the two Citys which did disappoint me most were Paris and Stockholm. Indeed the citys are ok and worth visiting, but if you have expectations and they dont fit in reality, it is a disappointment then.

brilliant video, love it

We are talking after all about a city who exerted more of its national will “fighting” Disneyland and Big Macs than they did against the Nazis and failed in all three.

I think paris symdrome hit larger population...

My whole south west of america made me have the paris syndrome... Dizzy and tired

I have been to many European countries many times, and I will way this about France. It is a nice country. Unique with features to help it distinguish it from other European countries, nice architecture and monuments, people are friendly and all that. But other than that, it is not extremely culturally different to other places. I never expected anything that different, so I wasn’t shocked by anything.

Baguettes *and* berets? You must have read too much Tin Tin or something. 😃 I'd personally expect them all to be sitting around having coffee and éclairs. 7:13 - That's a fancy, easy-to-carry camera you've got there. What's the model?

People exaggerate about cities like Paris and New York. At the end of the day, they're just cities. In many cases you paid thousands to visit a city.

Paris is a beautiful city though. But it's not the fantasy either. But you can't deny it's still a charming city nonetheless

Paris is overrated, over crowded and over exaggerated when it comes to its beauty.

Old Paris is dead. The Paris that the authors wrote about is what the Japanese read. That is why they are disappointed.

Also, I honestly don't understand where all these unrealistic expectations, both good and bad, come from. I mean I do understand where they come from, movies, TV shows, books, travelogues, posters, etc. I just don't get how people are foolish and naive enough to literally believe them, especially given all the far more realistic counternarratives that are present everywhere and hard to avoid. Do people choose to be naive in the hope that their idealized version of the places they visit will turn out to be true even though deep down they realize that it's unlikely, because vacations are supposed to be ideal and they don't want to spoil that ideal, or are they actually naive and if so what explains that? I guess that it's sort of like politics, in which people choose to believe what they prefer to believe, whether it's based on known facts or obvious lies. People create their own realities that have as much or as little to do with actual reality as pleases them, and when the two realities collide, the reaction tends to depend on how close the two are. As a traveler I've learned to dial down my expectations and enjoy some of the little things about new places, like markets, parks, quiet side streets and brief but pleasant encounters with regular people, and not just make it about the obvious tourist guidebook highlights.

I don’t understand the stampede over the Mona Lisa. Doesn’t seem worthwhile… 😅

Surprisedly the Paris France that the Japanese and other Asian countries fantasize so much fits more the description of Monaco 🇲🇨 It matches all the luxurious high expectations that they assume with Paris France. 🤔 Imagine if the Japanese man that began the whole Paris syndrome decided to save up all his life savings and took a trip to Monaco 🇲🇨 to wash down the disappointment of Paris France, only to realize “Oh my freaking gosh!? It was France’s neighbor all along!” 🤯😵😭 Sometimes the country of your traveling dreams is where you least expect.

That isekai kind of exists already. A guy meets with the godess who changes her mind and curses him to not understand or comunicate with humans because she finds him ugly. Tsukimichi: moonlight fantasy. And there are isekais where magic isint all powerful it has many uses but also many things magic cant fix.

Great Video, I think the problem is people fantasizes about Paris and get a image of it, then when they get there reality sets in. The Japanese syndrome is caused by there politeness and not speaking badly, so the when they see it there brains go into overload with bad thoughts witch goes against their culture and that = The Paris Syndrome 😂 .

The fact is that people of all kinds are so mediocre looking when they travel and the people who live in any place have been programmed by fashion and modern trends to dress in such casual cheap fashion that the entire world looks identical now. So wherever we travel we find that the people who live there look the same as where we have departed from. Once the French had a special style , and the Germans possibly also, and the Swiss , and the Asian peoples and the African peoples and the peoples of the United States had their own fashions . But every body wears cheap sweat shirts and running shoes and the sort of sports clothes and basball caps .Also they listen to the same sort of American kind of Rock Music in one kind or another. There is no regional difference except maybe in the Islamic nations or some Indian nations . The Latin nations have some variations with salsa but it is still equally Westernised as I describe. My visits to Madrid and other Spanish cities found their central shopping districts all modernised and boring recently wheras they were so charming and with local character 30-40 years ago. And the only thing to get any stimulus from is therefore the language being spoken , and the buildings , and the art in the museums. ( I live in Britain and for a long time now our towns and cities which once had unique and different characters have been ruined by mass produced shopping mall and giant supermarket culture development.)This is the result! People go expecting an experience of a lifetime but they are part of these armies of samelike tourists who follow the same routes doing the same things and then wonder why they feel unfulfilled!

My goodness there's lots of blacks in France

Paris is just a dirty version of Budapest.

It was beautiful before diversity

Screw going to Paris just go to Hanoi. It’s Paris with warmer weather and somehow FEWER rats??

lmao Paris isekai 😂

Skill issues.

The most depressing thing about Paris is all the Africans.

The Paris Syndrome happens everywhere including in Japan, happened to all the nationalities including the French and concerns about nobody every year. Maybe 20 Japanese tourists in Paris per year over millions of Japanese tourists. That's a psychiatric condition and the problem isn't really the place but people not fit to travel.